That Moment You Wonder Why the NFL Ignored Your Credential Request

Welcome to the NFL. Where if you’re a real journalist, they don’t want you to be a part of NFL Media Day.

Okay, that’s a little harsh, and I don’t mean any disrespect to the hundreds of legitimate journalists assigned to cover Media Day on Tuesday in Newark, NJ. Those Denver Broncos beat writers, those Seattle Seahawks beat writers, the New York-area press, the national football writers, etc.

But the NFL has turned the S*per B*wl event (see what I did there – don’t want to use the words “Super Bowl” and get sued by the NFL!) into Mardi Gras. An entertainment spectacle. A pop-culture joke.

And yes, I’m bitter, not because my request for a press credential wasn’t accepted. Because my request wasn’t even opened. Neither was the follow-up email. And I followed the NFL’s proper protocol.

I had hoped to cover NFL Media Day for our sister publication, Chief Marketer. I would have asked players like Peyton Manning about their Papa John’s deals, the Wes Welkers about their Old Spice deals. What do they and their agents consider before they accept endorsement deals – other than the almighty dollar.

Come to think of it, since I didn’t have any on-the-field questions for the players, I would have fit in like another car on the circus train.